Far East Kingdoms

South Asia

Berar (Vidharba)AD 1490 - 1574

Berar was the focus of a sultanate which existed in central
India
in the sixteenth century. During the late Iron Age period it had formed part
of the territory of the Sattavahanas,
and for long periods of the first millennium AD it was ruled from the north.
In 1321 the rule of Delhi passed to the
Tughlaq
dynasty. Mohammed Tughlaq, a descendant of that dynasty, later made Devagiri,
on the Deccan,
his capital.

The province of the Deccan (between the north of the River Godavari and the River
Krishna), became an independent state during the time of the
Bahamani
sultanate. This sultanate soon disintegrated and split into
five independent sultanates at
Ahmednagar, Berar under the Imad Shahi dynasty (now in Maharashtra state
and consisting of the districts of Akola, Buldhana, Amravati, Yavatmal, most
of the Parbhani district, and parts of Nanded and Aurangabad districts),
Bidar,
Bijapur, and
Golconda. Berar was quickly
conquered by Ahmednagar.

(Information by Abhijit Rajadhyaksha.)

1490 - 1510

Fath-Allah Imad ul-Mulk

Former governor and first independent Imad Shahi sultan of Berar.

1510 - 1529

Aladdin Imad Shah

Son.

Bahamani sultan Mahmud Shah is
thrown out of
Bidar by his minister
and seeks refuge with and military support from Aladdin Imad Shah. Berar
fights alongside Mahmud Shah against the combined power of the usurper, Amir
Barid, and
Ahmednagar,
but he retreats in disgust and retires to Berar after Mahmud Shah flees the
battle.

1529 - 1561

Darya Imad Shah

Son.

1562 - 1574

Burhan Imad Shah

Son. A minor at his accession.

1562 - 1574

Tufal Khan Dakhni

Regent and minister.

1565

The Vijayanagar
empire is defeated at the Battle of Talikota by an alliance of
Deccan
sultanates; Ahmednagar, Berar,
Bidar,
Bijapur, and
Golconda. The sultan of
Bijapur takes the Raichur Doab as his prize.

The great fort of Mahur in Berar, built on one of the
sultanate's mountains in the twelfth century

1574

Berar is conquered by Ahmednagar
and incorporated into its territory. Burhan Imad Shah and Tufal Khan Dakhni
are imprisoned and both are later poisoned in that prison by the sultan of
Ahmednagar. Berar later becomes a province within the
Maratha state of
Nagpur.